‘The Best Way to Handle These Things’ — Media Reporter Highlights ESPN’s ‘Big Mistake’ That Contributed to Troy Aikman-Joe Buck Beef

Troy Aikman and Joe Buck have been the familiar voices of ESPN’s Monday Night Football for several years. However, a serious disagreement involving contract negotiations and a breakdown of trust between the two broadcasters has now put their two-decade-long partnership in jeopardy.

The duo has already worked together on three Monday Night Football broadcasts since reports of their strained relationship first surfaced. However, the chances of them continuing to appear alongside each other seem increasingly uncertain.

With that in mind, The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand has identified what he believes was a major misstep on ESPN’s part, one that could have prevented the dispute from escalating.

Andrew Marchand Points to ESPN’s Role in Troy Aikman-Joe Buck Fallout

Buck and Aikman joined ESPN in 2022 after signing five-year contracts with the network. However, their relationship reportedly became strained following Buck’s latest contract extension, which was a six-year deal worth a reported $108 million.

The deal was finalized in May 2026 but was not publicly revealed until September. Meanwhile, Aikman’s existing ESPN contract is set to expire after Super Bowl LXI in February 2027. As a result, Aikman reportedly felt betrayed that Buck had kept the agreement to himself, particularly when his own future with the network remained uncertain.

While discussing the situation during a live Q&A with The Athletic, Marchand pointed to ESPN’s failure to address the growing tension between the broadcasters earlier, describing it as a significant mistake that allowed the disagreement to escalate.

“I think being transparent is the best way to handle these things,” Marchand said. “But I also think the big mistake was not handling it sooner. Burke Magnus is the president of content. He should have gotten the two of them in a room a few years back and addressed it. It festered, and now it is likely (though not definitely) too late.”

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The disagreement between the broadcasters made headlines ahead of their coverage of the Los Angeles Rams’ Week 5 MNF game against the Buffalo Bills. According to The Athletic, ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro asked Aikman whether he could continue working alongside Buck, and the Dallas Cowboys legend had no hesitation in agreeing to do so.

However, the situation reportedly became more heated inside the broadcast booth before the matchup. During the exchange, Buck allegedly confronted Aikman by asking, “You are not going to [expletive] talk to me?” Aikman reportedly responded, “I just never thought you’d do it to me.”

The sudden deterioration of their relationship has caught many fans by surprise, particularly because the 2026 season marks the 25th year of Aikman and Buck working together as a broadcasting duo. The two first began calling games alongside each other at Fox in 2002 before eventually reuniting at ESPN.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.